South Carolina Lightning Strike Injures 20 at Park Near Lake Murray

A single lightning bolt sent a shock through Dominion Beach Park near Lake Murray on Tuesday, injuring 20 people—including 12 children—who were swimming or holding onto a buoy cable when the bolt struck the water.

First responders from the Lexington County Fire Service, Irmo Fire District, Lexington County EMS, and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department rushed to the scene after the incident, which happened around 5 p.m., county spokesperson Vanessa Diaz told NTD in an emailed statement.

The lightning bolt energized a metal cable lined with buoys that mark the swimming area. Several swimmers had reached the buoys and were holding onto the cable at the time of the strike, while others were nearby.

“Everybody got quite a jolt,” Diaz said. “We’re so fortunate that injuries were not worse than they were.”

Of the 20 patients—eight adults and 12 juveniles—12 were taken to three local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. All are expected to recover, Lexington County said in a June 24 press release.

The park was temporarily closed for safety checks but reopened as normal on Wednesday, authorities said.

Stormy Summer Across the US

The incident at Dominion Beach Park comes as South Carolina faces an enhanced risk for severe thunderstorms, Lexington County said in a Wednesday Facebook post.

Forecasters warn of damaging winds, large hail, frequent lightning, and possible power outages through the region. With high summer temperatures, officials are also concerned about heat-related illnesses.

“Stay weather aware. Have multiple ways to receive alerts. Stay connected. Stay safe,” county officials said.

This lightning strike is just one in a series of summer weather events making headlines. On June 19, a teenage boy was struck by lightning in New York City’s Central Park during a severe thunderstorm warning.

Emergency crews found the teen conscious but with neck injuries. He was sent to the hospital, where his condition was determined as non-life-threatening.

Earlier in May, video footage showed lightning striking a parked police car in Newcastle, Oklahoma, on May 19.

On the East Coast, 127 million Americans remained under National Weather Service heat advisories on Wednesday. While the heat wave is expected to pass in the coming days, temperatures still reached the high 90s from North Carolina to New York and west to West Virginia.

The punishing heat wave had broken records across the Northeast, with Boston, Providence, and Newark all hitting or tying June temperature highs on June 24. Emergency services have been stretched thin, with two firefighters in Massachusetts hospitalized for heat exhaustion and more than 150 people treated for heat-related symptoms at a high school graduation in New Jersey. In Missouri, a woman died after days without air conditioning or water.

In South Carolina, officials are reminding everyone to take summer storms seriously, especially when lightning is in the forecast.

Lexington County has asked nearby churches to help by offering cooling centers as temperatures rise into the 90s this week.

“Calling all churches and community centers in Lexington County … We’re asking if you plan to open a cooling center to help neighbors beat the heat. If so, our Emergency Management Team wants to hear from you!” the county said in a Tuesday Facebook post, noting that it is building a contact list to share cooling center info with the public.

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